


The Smell of Blood and Rage

by geometrix



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Blood, Violence, Werewolf, Werewolves, idk what else to tag, werewolf!Ryan, werewolf!geoff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-10-21
Packaged: 2018-02-22 01:58:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2490296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geometrix/pseuds/geometrix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Along with his humanity, Geoff's friendship with Ryan had ended the day he'd almost been killed by him. Subtle reminders that Geoff, too, would spend the rest of his life as an uncontrollable monster were enough to tip him over the edge all too often. In a world where werewolves experience emotionally-induced transformations on top of lunar changes, it was only going to be so long before Geoff and Ryan were at each other's throats again. But this time, it was unlikely that both of them were going to make it out alive.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Geoff eventually managed to struggle to his feet. The morning after, he always felt nauseous and exhausted, and sometimes it took a while for him to get his balance together. The full moon caused his body to go through so many changes, and it was always so mentally and physically demanding, yet he always had to go through with it. It wasn't something he could help. 

No thanks to Ryan.

Pulling himself up to standing position had been a step too far, though, and he couldn't help the surge of vomit that came with it. Not only that, but blood spewed everywhere. It was normal for that to happen, as all his internal organs were still changing, it was just messy and disgusting. Geoff took a few deep breaths, leaning on the wall in front of him for support.

On it were engravings that had been left to him by Griffon, who'd built this place for it. It was a small outhouse at the end of their garden, designed to be a safe and secure place for Geoff every month. She'd built it after Geoff had told her about what had happened after Ryan had attacked him that time. The engravings were there because she never wanted Geoff to feel alone through this. She never wanted him to feel like his humanity was out of his reach.

Unfortunately, the scars across the wall which had been caused by his own claws took that feeling from him. The fact the cute messages his wife had left him were covered up by his own destructive touch left him feeling even further from human than he had before. It just reminded Geoff of the hatred he had for himself, of what Ryan had done to him.

Once he felt like all the puke and blood was out of his system, and he felt balanced enough to walk, he threw on a t shirt and a pair of jeans that he'd left for himself, and walked up to the house. Ideally, he'd have a strong coffee or a glass of whiskey to judder himself awake, however in the days following a change, his digestive system wasn't really up to that kind of thing.

Griffon was waiting for him in the kitchen, a wet towel at the ready so she could wipe down his face. She was always so caring for Geoff around changes, which was nice and all, but Geoff was still always going to have to go through the trauma and pain of becoming a monster at least once a month, with or without a loving wife to help clean up the collateral damage. 

And it was at least. Very rarely did a change happen only once a month. Surges of strong emotions could trigger a change at any point, which meant he always had to be on his own guard, and be the master of self control. However the circumstances under which this had happened to him meant that he couldn't always be in control. When Ryan was around there was always deep, pitted anger and hatred in Geoff that couldn't be quelled. He knew they had been friends, but he just couldn't bring himself to forgive what Ryan had done to him.

The first time Geoff had lashed out at work and triggered his own change, Ryan had voluntarily changed to keep Geoff company while the rest of Rooster Teeth had evacuated the building. It had been a big risk, as two male wolves often act as rivals, but luckily nothing bad had happened. And admittedly, Geoff did understand and appreciate how big a deal that was, as the emotional and physical demand of changing was very hard to deal with. However, all the times after that had been because of fights with Ryan. There was always tension between them, and the smallest things could set them off. It was like their territorial wolf senses were on guard all of the time. Which made Geoff feel even worse, as the idea of not being able to separate himself from the monster he became was terrifying.

This hadn't been a part of him for very long at all, but he was still so desperate to get rid of it.

For Ryan it was slightly different. He'd had it for longer, and it had become more of a habit than anything to accept that there was no separation between him and the wolf. That's why he felt even guiltier after everything with Geoff: he genuinely felt like it had been his fault, even though technically he couldn't control what was happening, as the human conscience is muted during a transformation. 

He'd become the way he was shortly after he started working for Rooster Teeth, and had had to tell Burnie almost immediately. It had been incredibly difficult, but if Ryan wanted to keep his job, it was important that the company knew. He'd been told he could stay as long as he could control it. Which is what he did.

For so long he kept himself calm, and tried so hard to not get agitated or annoyed. It was difficult, but it meant he could stay working with his best friends, as well as only have to suffer one change per month. It wasn't great, it was still difficult, but it was the best he could do.

And then there had been that one day that Gavin had pushed him slightly too far over the edge, and his temper tipped him into a change. After forcing the Achievement Hunter guys out of the office, the company's workforce all managed to figure out his secret while barricading the door to the office. It had been so embarrassing for Ryan after his body became human again, knowing that so many people had seen him, and also that he'd ruined a lot of the office. 

But people had been surprisingly forgiving and understanding, and people tended to be more careful around him, making sure not to piss him off. The Achievement Hunters, especially Jack and Geoff, had been particularly kind about it, trying to convince Ryan not to feel bad, and that he was still their friend either way. The Lads often made jokes about it, and there had been that time Gavin had bought him a collar, but at the end of the day it was good-natured, and no one was hating him.

But it all changed after the day he'd come into work riled up to the core. A chain of events that morning had left him in an awful, angry mood, and as a result he'd run to the office and begged Geoff to get him to somewhere safe. He could feel a change coming, and didn't want other employees to get caught in the crossfire. 

Geoff obliged, and had slammed the fire drill to get everyone out the building while he tried to find somewhere for Ryan, who by now was coughing up blood all over the floors. Geoff couldn't get him to a lockable room before Ryan fell to the ground, the use of his legs gone as they began to undergo their transformation. The only thing Geoff could do was leave Ryan and hide himself in a room where he couldn't get hurt.

Overhearing the transformation was painful, knowing that it was his best friend going through it. But the pain of that didn't even compare to the events that followed. Having been angered before his change, rather than mildly irritated, meant that Ryan was incredibly feral and vicious as a wolf. And he'd managed to sniff out Geoff, and the next thing he knew was he was being dragged down the stairs, fangs sunk so far into his arm that the pain was beyond the realms of feeling, and blood was everywhere. 

Geoff knew he was going to die. His best friend was going to kill him.

Wild wolves aren't easy creatures to stop once they have a goal, and it wasn't long before Geoff was left with chunks missing from his leg, and his abdomen mangled, open, with blood gushing across the floor. He was losing touch with reality, and possibly even his life. The last thing he was going to see was those eyes. Those eyes he saw every day, but on the face of a guy he could once call his best friend. Flashbacks filled his memories as his vision faded to black, of all the times he'd laughed, messed around, had fun with Ryan. And the same person was going to be the reason he departed this world.

Before that could happen, Ryan got stopped. He was either shot or tranqued, but either way he'd stopped. Geoff was rushed to hospital in a desperate bid to salvage his life. When Ryan properly woke up after the painful transition back into a human body, he was left facing a lobby covered in blood, and the sound of screaming in his head. He himself was covered in blood, more so than he would be just from a regular transformation.

Geoff was saved, and only had to spend a week in hospital. But it didn't take that long for Ryan to find out what he'd done, and the guilt hit him like a 20-tonne lorry. He'd nearly killed one of his best friends, and he'd had no idea. He really was a monster, and he really just wished for Geoff to be okay. No one had any idea that the suffering he'd left for Geoff didn't stop at open wounds and scars. Along with their friendship and trust, Geoff had lost his humanity, and it had been the one thing he'd been grateful for this whole time.


	2. Chapter 2

So everything had changed since then. Rivalries and feelings of hatred had come in a wave through the office, and prejudices became very apparent. For the other Achievement Hunters, it was a struggle to feel safe when they were all in the office together, especially knowing that the smallest thing could set Geoff or Ryan off. 

Geoff tried so hard to control himself. The idea of him doing to someone what Ryan had done to him was unthinkable, and he wanted to make every effort he could to ensure that it didn't happen ever. Changing really took a toll on him, and he found that he was often too tired to get into arguments anyway. But for some reason, if it was with Ryan, it was all too easy for him to get tipped off enough to induce a change. And the same went for Ryan. And it caused a lot of problems.

'How are you feeling?' Griffon asked, concerned. It took Geoff a few days usually to adjust back into his human body, and that meant he needed a lot of care during that time. It was almost like watching an outrageously drunk person try and do real life, except one of those people who was always emotional and sad when drunk. It wasn't fun. 

Geoff grunted, clutching the side of the kitchen counter and screwing his eyes up. Plagued by a wave of nausea and an uncomfortable shifting feeling inside him, he tried to stabilise himself. Once he felt rebalanced, he turned to Griffon, and looked at her with narrow eyes, as if trying to figure her out.

The first time he'd done that it had spooked Griffon, and she'd backed out of the room. After that, she learned that it was quite normal. As the hormones and pathways in the brain were still normalising for Geoff, it wasn't uncommon for canine instincts or behaviours to interrupt his daily life during the days surrounding the full moon. It was like he was tracking her to see if she was safe, so all Griffon did was stand very still so he wasn't spooked.

After a few seconds, his expression went back to normal. 'Fucking fantastic,' he whispered hoarsely. Speaking was a little bit hard first thing: his larynx was under a lot of strain, and his mouth tasted of blood. 

Griffon moved towards him and put her hand on his back, and her other one on his hand. Geoff's temperature was through the roof, yet beads of sweat were all across his brow. 

'You need to go take a shower, and then we can go, okay?' 

Geoff forced himself to nod, and stumbled towards the door to go and get freshened up. He still had to go to work, and so he had to make the effort to be presentable and functional. Griffon always drove him on these days. If she let him drive himself, he'd probably end up crashing into a wall.

Soon, Geoff was ready to go. He was still aching, and itching, since a lot of excess hair had come off in the shower. When a werewolf makes the transition back to its human body, it sheds its fur like crazy, and not all comes out straight away. 

When he arrived at work, there were lots of people ready to help him in. Despite some people's weariness about the situation, Geoff was, in general, perceived as a victim, and that made people constantly on hand to help him out. 

Ryan, on the other hand, didn't get that kind of treatment. Some people were still nice to him, or polite enough to get by, but some people avoided him. Hurting Geoff in the way he had destroyed him. The guilt made him physically sick, and he took all the blame on himself. He hated himself for not being able to control himself. Just because his body changed didn't mean it wasn't still him. And that was it. He should have stopped himself.

Of course, it didn't work like that, but it didn't make Ryan feel any less guilty.

And others shared his opinion. People who didn't even understand what it meant to be this way, who didn't understand the condition. They still chose to place all the blame on Ryan. People loved putting the blame on something that wasn't them, and he was an easy target. 

So when he'd shown up to work, he'd made the walk to the office alone. Burnie had given him a nod of acknowledgement as they'd passed each other in the corridor, but that was as far as it had gone. The only person who'd treated him like a friend in the office was Jack.

Jack was in a really difficult position, and Ryan could see that. He was the only person in the office who had been generally positive with Ryan: Gavin had been so emotionally swayed after the guy who was practically his dad had been brutally attacked, and Michael was just bitter and vengeful about the situation. Ray didn't want to get caught in any conflict so stayed generally neutral, although tried to avoid Ryan and Geoff where he could. Jack, however, was a Gent. His closest friends were the two guys he sat next to at work. And even though they both now were suffering from all of this, he was determined to stick by them both. Sometimes Geoff had been bitter about the fact that Jack wasn't blindly acting anti-Ryan, but Jack didn't care. Both of those guys were his friends, whether or not they could become violent killers at any moment in time.

'Hey dude,' Jack said in a positive tone. He knew that Ryan must be feeling like shit right now, and didn't want to bring his mood down any further. Ryan just collapsed onto his desk in an attempt to shut his brain off.

'Feeling better this morning?' Jack said, trying to keep talking so Ryan felt less alone.

All Ryan did in response was clench his hands up, but since his claws hadn't completely retracted back into regular nails, he left deep scratches in his desk as a result. Jack took that as a no.

A noise from behind them alerted them that Geoff was coming in. He stumbled through the door and collapsed onto his desk too, right next to Ryan. 

'You not so good this morning, either, Geoff?' Jack said to him. Geoff looked up at him, exhaustion and pain clear in his face. He stared Jack dead in the eye, and then down to Ryan, whose head was still on his desk and unable to see Geoff. Hatred was in the look he gave him, and Jack felt himself get prepared just in case anything was going to start between them. 

Ryan's leg started jittering, and both Geoff and Jack noticed it. Geoff's started too. It had confused everyone the first time that happened, but after approaching Ryan about it that one time, Jack had found out that it was pretty much the equivalent of tail-wagging. When the guys felt threatened, or were preparing for attack, their legs would just go, and the low growling would start. In this case it meant Ryan knew how Geoff was looking at him. And wolf instincts meant that you were to attack before it happened to yourself.

'Stop it.' Jack said firmly. Both Ryan and Geoff turned to him, their legs suddenly still, and the growling coming to a silence. Jack just stared at both of them. He knew there were lines he shouldn't cross sometimes, but both of them were under too much physical strain to start a fight right now, so he figured he was good.

Michael came over, distracted from his work by the ruckus. 'Wow,' he said, leaning on the back of Jack's chair, giving a dirty look towards Ryan. 'Since when did the office turn into a petting zoo.' 

Geoff looked up at him, a flash of pain in his eyes. The Lads had this habit of referring to him and Ryan like they were animals, and it hurt Geoff every time. He hated being reminded that he wasn't human anymore. And it just caused him to think about the fact that not even that long ago, he had been.

'I mean, no offence, Geoff,' Michael added. 'You're not really the, uh..' He trailed off, looking back to Ryan. All Ryan was thinking was, 'I'm right fucking here.' But he didn't attempt to say it, because picking a fight with Michael was like being handed a fast pass into a transformation. 

Michael's words meant something to Geoff, however. When he looked in the mirror, he saw Geoff Ramsey. He saw the guy he'd always seen in the mirror, just with a few more battle scars. When he looked at Ryan, he saw a feral dog. He saw a dangerous animal. He didn't see a man. He didn't see his best friend.

So maybe he could separate himself from this. Maybe his changes were still Ryan's problem, and he could separate himself from the 'petting zoo' the office had become. 

But then all he had to do was remember the way the loving messages scratched into the walls of his safe house by Griffon had been gauged out by his own destructive anatomy to remember he wasn't separate from this. 

And thinking 'My claws did that' was a painful thought alone, since the words 'My' and 'Claws' shouldn't be adjacent in a sentence. Not for a human, anyway. 

Jack gave Michael a look warning him to back off. His primary two concerns were, of course, not wanting Michael to provoke either of them. The second being not wanting Ryan to get any more upset. 

Michael shrugged and walked out, not bothering to look back to see the reactions of the two men.. The two.. Whatever. Not men. Something.

Jack turned his attention back to Ryan and Geoff, and sighed. 'Why don't you two just take these days off? The days leading up, and the days following. It just causes you both problems.' 

Ryan looked up slightly, his eyes shaded and bloodshot. He didn't say anything physically, his larynx was way too tender for that and he wasn't ready to emit human noises, and he certainly wasn't going to allow himself to make any other kind. But his look said it all: if he took the time off, his vote in the popularity polls would get even lower than it already was. 

'Okay, buddy,' Jack said, placing a hand on Ryan's back in comfort. Ryan put his head back down on the desk, a small whine escaping as he did. He caught himself doing it, and closed his eyes in a fashion of regret. He really wasn't helping himself.

Jack just felt sorry for him. He wished he could help them both, and he desperately wished that the Lads would provide the support that was needed - to both of the Gents. 

He turned around to see what Gavin and Ray were doing, and saw Gavin holding up the collar he'd bought as a joke all those weeks ago and shrugging with a cheeky grin. Jack narrowed his eyes at him, his classic 'Aw, come on!' could almost be heard telepathically. Gavin rolled his eyes and put it down, getting back to his work.

Ray was looking over at the Gents. The expression on his face showed concern but caution. Like he wanted to help out but was too scared to do so, and he didn't even know what he could do to help. Jack gave him a grateful smile. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only one in the office who didn't want to shame his two friends.


	3. Chapter 3

So the days that followed a full moon were always difficult for everyone. Geoff and Ryan obviously wanted to work, and it wasn't like they could just take a week off at a time, but the work they did do was minimal, and often didn't involve recording. Sometimes as well as the physical pain, they'd have to deal with embarrassing slips, such as acts of canine instinct or behaviour. Theoretically, this could happen at any time, but it was much more likely to occur during the transition period. 

It was easier to pretend that things were normal when they were far from the transition period. Geoff and Ryan didn't talk to each other really, but filming and regular work was at least possible, and they weren't in physical pain. It was like playing a game of Human.

Some people at the office were either nice enough, or had thick enough skin, to act like none of this was a problem for them. Meg and Barbara were always nice to the two, and Meg particularly was often happy to spend time with Ryan if ever he felt alone or rejected. To her, he was still the same guy, he'd just had some bad experiences and was trying to move on. She resented the way Gavin behaved around him, but at the end of the day, she wasn't Gavin, and she couldn't tell him what to think or feel.

Gus was surprisingly good about it all too. He had to take more precaution, since he was higher up in the company, and if anything he was dealing with got ruined then there would be much bigger problems on their hands. But other than that, he didn't have a problem with it. He'd been quick to move on from the Geoff and Ryan incident, mainly because he didn't want that to be one of the main things that was remembered about the history of the company, and as far as he was concerned, when either of them were out of their transitional periods, it was as if there never were werewolves in the first place. 

The only time there ever were problems was when non-lunar transitions were involved. And these tended to happen more often than they really should. 

Non-lunar transitions were transitions that get triggered by heightened emotional stress, anger, distress, aggression etc. It was also possible for them to be triggered by sexual excitement, but that wasn't as common. The main property was the fact that they weren't caused by the full moon, which was an unavoidable symptom of the condition. 

Unfortunately, the tension between Geoff and Ryan sometimes got too much for them too control. Whereas in human terms, they were simply not friends, to a wolf that meant they were rivals. Territorial sires that were out for each other's blood. So when they got angry, or fought, the wolf juices would start to flow in their bodies, urging them to end the other. Unfortunately, with wolf hormones comes a transition.

And one day, the electricity in the office between the two was just too much. Neither of them would make the conscious decision to attack the other, but when one pissed off the other, instinct would kick in. 

And Geoff had pissed off Ryan. There wasn't any definite reason why, and the build up of tension over the days and weeks certainly helped it on its way, like a stick of dynamite waiting for the trigger to be pressed. But, even so, Geoff had pissed off Ryan. 

And it was so clear that something was going to happen when Ryan suddenly stopped whatever he had been doing to stare dead-eyed at Geoff. Nothing could break his attention, and people could see the leg thing start to happen. Jack noticed first, and ushered the Lads out of the door so they didn't get trapped in on their side of the room. As he was doing this, Geoff noticed Ryan.

Their locked line of sight could cut flesh. Geoff lowered his head slightly - it was a typical wolf instinct to attempt to look more threatening. His leg started as well. 

And then the exact second they went for each other, jack jumped in the way. His arms were held out to each side, hoping to block one from the other, and they both collided into him. Two grown men running into you at full force was no easy thing to control, yet Jack held his stance and tried to push them off each other.

But it was too late. He could see in each of their eyes, a change was starting. Pupils dilated, and shades of yellow infiltrating their irises. When you're so used to seeing the tired, or friendly blue eyes of your friends every day, any change to that always seems to rip them from their identity. Jack knew he was still looking at Ryan and Geoff, but it was so hard to compute.

And then they both fell. Simultaneously. Spasms ran up and down their legs as the rest of their anatomy began to change, all the while swiping at each other, not letting their look of destruction fall. 

Jack couldn't help but think how much Geoff and Ryan wouldn't want this, and was saddened at the thought that they were so drunk on hormones right now that control was way out of their reach.

While the two were immobilised, he ran to the door to tell the others to get help. The place had to be evacuated, and help had to be sought. Jack knew the risk of staying, but maybe he could be a distraction so the two didn't kill each other.

The cries of pain filling the room were unbearably difficult for Jack to hear, and even worse knowing this was a common occurrence for his friends. The only thing that stopped the noise was the choking up of blood as their internal organs began to make the transition too. There was more blood than there would be on a lunar transition, as lunar transitions tended to occur over a few days. This was a much quicker change, and it caused sufferers a great deal more pain.

Jack didn't know what to do. He was watching the bodies of his best friends warp and change. He'd always had this idea in his head that they weren't the same bodies, that somehow magic was involved, that it wasn't this gruesome, but any attempt he'd previously made to convince himself that the process wasn't that awful was being shattered in front of him.

Faces and fangs changing, voices grinding from human screams to low, resonant growls and high, piercing whines, nails extending into sharp claws, and hands and feet cracking into paws. Their whole bodies looked unbearably tender as their bone structure changed so dramatically in such a short space of time. Femurs shrank and  metatarsals extended. The coccyx grew, threatening to pierce the skin, but stopping just before it did. And all the while the hair on their bodies had grown to an even length all over. Jack couldn't hear himself think over the aggressive growling.

'Okay!' He forced himself to say once he was convinced the transition was over. He couldn't get over what he'd just seen, and he didn't think he would any time soon. The only way he could tell between the two was by the shredded clothes beneath them. Both of them were pretty much the same size, although Geoff's fur was maybe a shade or two darker than Ryan's. 

The wolves looked at him, their snarling, fang-bearing faces aimed right at him, their eyes drilling into him. 

They didn't move.

'Okay,' he said, softer this time, and took a step forward - slowly. He didn't want them to see him as a threat. He wanted to be as calm as he could. 

He put his hands out, so he could show he wasn't hiding anything. The wolves' gazes slowly followed him as he got closer to them. Eventually he was between the two, only able to look at one at a time. He took a deep breath. 'Okay,' he said a third time, this time to just himself.

He turned his head to his left, so he was looking right into Ryan's eyes. In his human body, his eyes were such a piercing blue that when you looked away you could see a negative afterimage, but for some reason the transition caused his irises to become tinted with a shocking yellow colour, so his eyes became bright green. 

'Ryan..' He said softly. The wolf was breathing slowly, and sniffed at Jack, trying to sense if he was a threat or not. 'Hey Ryan, it's okay.. It's okay, it's just me.' Even though Ryan had decided that Jack wasn't a threat, he still didn't know who he was. The scent was recognisable, but the identity wasn't.

Jack turned his head slowly to the right. 'Geoff,' he said quietly. The darker wolf looked into his eyes. Geoff's eyes became a dark green after a transition, despite having blue eyes like Ryan. Geoff sniffed to try and get the scent of Jack in the same way Ryan had. 'Hey, buddy,' Jack smiled when he figured he'd been accepted as Not a Threat. 

But once Geoff was done with his examining, he let out a small noise. Jack didn't know what it was, or if it was even intentional, but it seemed to provoke Ryan, who bared his teeth and growled more than he had been before, his line of sight directed straight at Geoff. This triggered Geoff to do the same thing, and then Jack knew he was in trouble.

He decided to back away, but he wasn't quick enough as the two animals went straight for each other, their claws catching him in the cross fire. He managed to dive out the way, but blood was already pouring out of his arm where they'd scratched him. It was lucky that the condition couldn't be transferred through scratches, but if Jack stayed in there any longer, he might not stay so lucky.

It was easy to get out, since Ryan and Geoff were so preoccupied with each other, but as soon as he made it out of the building, he fell to his knees, cradling his injured arm. People ran to his aid, desperate to get him help. The first thing Jack said to anyone was, 'Someone's got to get in there and stop them. Because I'm pretty sure one of them is going to kill the other one.'


	4. Chapter 4

Joel came forward to offer to drive Jack to hospital while Matt, Burnie and Gus tried to decide what to do. You know it's a bad situation when the easiest option is to get a gun involved than treat it humanely. But no one was going to shoot anyone, uncontrollable animal or otherwise. 'At the end of the day,' Burnie sighed. 'They're still Geoff and Ryan.'

But while everyone was outside trying to make a decision on how to deal with it, inside was becoming a bloodbath. The fight was fuelled with anger, hated, and pure instinct. One wanted the other dead. That was how this fight was going to end.

Geoff would have Ryan down by the neck, his fangs and teeth ripping deeper and deeper into his flesh, but then Ryan would make an unexpected move that flew Geoff across the room until he smashed into the wall, yelping with pain as he hit it. Blood was everywhere - across the walls, stained into the floor, on all the expensive equipment that was kept in there. A few monitors had been knocked over and smashed, including one of Ryan's and one of Gavin's. But despite the chaos they were causing, the wolves kept up their attack, doing whatever they could to hurt the other. Geoff ended up limping on a snapped front foot, and Ryan had blood matted into his fur from the side of his face all the way down his back. It was all a race for the final blow.

'It was an animal attack,' Joel assured the nurse who'd come to tend to Jack. They wanted to be in and out of the hospital as quick as they could be, and Joel wasn't up for small talk. The silence as the nurse cleansed and bandaged Jack's wounds was uncomfortable, and Jack and Joel kept sharing impatient, worried looks. Both of them wanted to get back to the office to make sure everything was okay. God only knew what Geoff and Ryan were doing right now.

It didn't take long before Jack was signed out, and the two were in the car back to Rooster Teeth. Joel tried to focus on the road, but Jack's mind was on other things.

'I couldn't even stop them,' Jack said quietly to himself. Joel quickly looked over, before retuning his attention to the road.

'They're animals, man. You didn't stand a chance.'

'They weren't at first. They were still just.. Geoff and Ryan. And I couldn't even stop them like that.'

Joel didn't want to think about it. 'Well,' he said bluntly. 'Let's just hope someone else does before one of them stops the other.'

The hubbub in the car park of Rooster Teeth wasn't dying down, and Burnie, Gus and Matt were still trying to come up with a solution, fully aware that time was ticking. 

'I mean, Ryan's wife's a vet, right?' Gus suggested.

'No. We are not getting family involved in this. Absolutely not,' Burnie said.

'Why not? She could come in, dart them, and then all we have to do is shift two bodies out of the way, and viola!'

Burnie turned angrily to Gus. 'You cannot ask someone to come in and put a tranq through their husband's head. It's off the cards. Getting animal control involved in general is a bad idea.'

'I still say we wait it out,' said Matt.

'You mean, wait until one of them kills the other one? Great plan, Matt,' Burnie said. 

Everyone's thoughts were interrupted by the car pulling into the car park. Out got Jack, his arm wrapped in bandages from mid-forearm to just below his shoulder, and Joel, who slammed the door harder than he needed to. He checked quickly to make sure Jack was okay, and then marched over back to the rest of the original Rooster Teeth crew.

'So,' he said impatiently. 'Got some kind of plan yet?'

'Not so much,' said Burnie, turning away and heading towards the rest of the staff all gathered in the car park. 

'This is insa-' Joel began, his words cut off by a sound that no one wanted to hear.

An intense howling filled the air. No one knew if it was a triumphant howling or a defeated one, but either way something was up. 

Joel grabbed Matt by the shoulders. 'WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GONNA DO?' 

He could hear Burnie in the background telling the rest of the staff to remain calm. 

Matt took a few moments to think before he looked down and met his eyes with Joel's. It wasn't a great plan, but he couldn't think of anything better, and Geoff and Ryan were both in a lot of danger right now. 

'We go in there,' he said calmly. 'We arm ourselves. And we stop whatever is happening.'

'We WHAT?' Both Joel and Gus looked at Matt like he was crazy.

'Get something - anything - something that you can protect yourself with. If we can knock them out then we have the highest chance of staying alive, as well as keeping both of them alive. Provided they are still both alive now.' He noticed Gus' expression. 'What else are we gonna do, Gus?'

And he was right. What else were they going to do?


	5. Chapter 5

The smell of blood and rage got thicker and thicker the closer they got to the Achievement Hunter office. Matt, Gus, Joel, Burnie, Blaine, and Jack had all decided they'd go in. Each man had his own bludgeoning device, and all were holding them with sweaty palms and nervousness through the roof. Matt lead the group, the others following close behind, all walking silently and slowly towards the door.

The silence was deafening, and everyone had their preconceived ideas as to who they'd find lying dead on the floor. No one spoke, partly to shield themselves, and partly because tears brimmed in the eyes of all of them. 

Matt pushed the door. This was it.

Once it was open, everyone could see. There was a wolf motionless on the floor. It was by the wall, and sticky blood was pooling and matting in the fur on its head. It matched a splattered patch of blood that was present on the wall above. The other wolf was standing over the body, pacing back and forth, occasionally giving it a nudge with its nose. It reared its head again, giving out a heroic yowl. 

The guys moved Jack forward in the group. He was the only one who'd seen them change, so he was the only one who could tell the subtle differences. 

The victorious wolf ignored him as he slowly came in, and moved away from the body. It was like he was proud of it, and wanted Jack to admire his work. Jack was shaking as he knelt down to look at the wolf closer. While he was doing this, Blaine and Gus coaxed the standing wolf out of the room, and into a nearby room which had a lockable door. The wolf seemed nonplussed, and if it realised something was wrong, it was after Blaine and Gus had slammed and locked the door in its face.

It sounded pissed, since the scratching and barking at the door didn't strike them as a sign of happiness.

Jack put his hands on the wolf beside him, running them through its fur. Parts of it were clogged with dry blood, and occasionally he'd come to an open wound where his own hand would get soaked in the red liquid. He took a piece of fur, and held it up to the light.

He could hardly keep his voice steady as he said, 'It's Geoff.'

There was silence, the only noise audible was that of the men's hands clapping over their mouths, trying to stop themselves from screaming out in anguish. 

'Oh god,' Jack could feel the tears getting too much. He buried his head into Geoff's thick fur. 'NO,' he screamed into it. 'NO.'

He squeezed his hands on the wolf's body hard, needing that stability to stop himself from falling apart. He hardly noticed the whispered whine that came with it. His hands began to pull at the fur for support. This time, the dog gave out a louder yelp of pain. Jack bolted upright.

Slowly, he put his face near Geoff's, and was overwhelmed when he felt small bursts of warm breath against his cheek.

'He's alive,' he squeaked. None of the others heard him.

Jack turned to face them all. 'HE'S ALIVE!' He screamed. One by one the men lifted their heads, in shock at what they'd heard. As their emotions began to catch up to them, they saw Jack throw his arms around Geoff's bleeding, broken, wolfish body, crying into his fur. The wolf stirred, and lightly licked the side of Jack's face. And Jack thought, maybe Geoff was in there somewhere after all.


	6. Chapter 6

The days following that were difficult. Ryan and Geoff's recoveries were exceptionally hard, since both had to deal with the usual pains of their bodies changing, as well as the significant injuries they'd both received from the fight. Geoff's right hand was in a sling and cast since the bones were broken in three places, and both he and Ryan had bandages covering almost their entire abdomens and backs. The cuts up their faces couldn't be hidden, but they began to heal in the air anyway.

Ryan had woken up in the room he'd been locked in as his transition back began. Cold, scared, in pain and confused as to his whereabouts, the transition had been particularly difficult, and he'd had to stay there until Gus had come to let him out the next day. 

Geoff had had to stay in the Achievement Hunter office since no one could move him, but he'd been left only after everyone was sure the care and treatment they'd given him was sufficient to last through to the morning. His transition had been particularly painful, especially when it came to his right paw forcing itself back into a human hand, but he'd been taken to hospital as soon as people got in the next day to get it all sorted out. 

The Achievement Hunter office was wrecked. Blood was everywhere, and there was no way that they could get it out of the carpet, no matter how clean they could get the walls. Ryan and Gavin's computers were beyond repair, and serious money was going to have to be spent to get new ones again. The sofa and everything around it was clawed up, and the chairs were all broken.

Jack came in wearing long sleeves. No one asked about it, but he could tell Ryan and Geoff were suspicious. To be honest, he didn't want them knowing what they'd done to him. He was on the mend, and neither of them needed any reason to feel any more guilt than they already did.

Because that was it, both of them were overcome with guilt. Burnie and Matt had decided to tell them what had happened, so they understood, and also so they could make a decision about what was the company's next move. It was clear that neither Ryan nor Geoff felt hatred or anger towards the other, but rather felt incomparable guilt every time they saw so much as a cut on the other one's body. 

It was odd, because they were talking again, but they would stop their own sentences, worrying that by even being near the other, they were scaring or threatening them. But that wasn't the case, and a friendship started to reform between the two. Geoff could never completely forgive Ryan for passing on his condition, but it was now clear that both of them felt the best thing was to support the other one. They were the only two who understood what the other was going through, and all they wanted to do now was make sure the other one could get through it safely. They didn't want to fight anymore. They didn't need to fight anymore. They'd let that get out of hand and it had nearly gotten too far. Yes, neither could remember the entire thing, but sometimes they'd come into the office, and the scent of the place would send flashbacks running through their heads. It was painful, and they could always tell when the other was having that experience. 

The best thing was to just help the other. And it was fantastic because it meant they could be friends again. And really, that's all either of them ever wanted. It was just this time, they weren't going to let their condition put a stop to that ever again.


End file.
